Quixotic

Quixotic – impulsive and often rashly unpredictable.

Strait jackets were invented in 1790 by an upholsterer named Guilleret at Bicêtre, for an asylum for the chronically mentally ill near Paris. They were often made of canvas or duck cloth due to the strength of the material.

Levi’s are crafted in a similar manner, and also have ties to upholsterers and Paris.

It seems today more and more “companies” are experimenting with green technology. What if Levi’s followed suite?

Weekly Directive: QUIXOTIC

Introducing Levi’s “Green Jeans” made from 100% recycled materials.

When I first thought of impractical ideas, I was leaning more towards “disposable jeans” rather than recycled jeans. Levi’s going green would be exceedingly idealistic, and what could be more impractical than tossing away your Levi’s?

Somehow the concept of “Green Jeans”, didn’t seem impractical to me. I mean, if they can make board shorts out of recycled plastic bottles, why couldn’t Levi’s fashion denim in a similar manner.

I definitely didn’t expect to stumble upon a practical idea during this assignment, but it demonstrates how useful creative thinking exercises can be. You can’t hold back on ideas just because your idea doesn’t follow the same idealism that everyone else has no matter how impractical it may be.

I started brain storming about scenarios that take a simple act of chivalry past the point of practicality. I came up with quite a few, but here are two off the top of my head.

Commercial Video/(Print Ad) Idea > Lobster Dinner

ACT 1 A man and woman are dinning in a posh restaurant… maybe he’s wearing a bib with a lobster on it and Levi’s of course. He’s obviously trying very hard to impress his lady friend. The waiter approaches with a lobster on a platter. (Low light setting with candle light. Emphasis on Couple at dinner table and his Levi’s, with secondary focus on waiter in background)

ACT 2 The man snaps into “Don Quixote mode” leaping onto the gigantic crustacean and engaging in battle. This scene could resemble a classic monster movie. She could be tied-up as an offering to the Giant Lobster, like in King Kong. (Action sequence with emphasis depending on scenario, use fast shutter speed to freeze action. Lighting should be from fire or torches to match candlelight in Act 1.)

ACT 3 After an intense battle, the hero saves the day and reunites with his fair lady. (This could continue in the restaurant or in the classic monster movie setting. Emphasis on Levi’s jeans and resolution/success)

Commercial Video/(Print Ad) Idea > Mud Puddle

ACT 1 A nicely dressed couple walking the city streets at night during a rainstorm. The city is filled with lights sound, and the rain is pouring down soaking them both. (Night scene with emphasis on rain,reflections, couple and neon lights. Preferably a “worm’s eye view.)

ACT 2 They approach a puddle, the gentleman rips-off his Levi’s and throws them over the puddle. Her long leg and elegant red heels step on his Levi’s avoiding the puddle, but clashing in comparison with his pale-hairy leg sporting dress socks. (Close up with emphasis on Levi’s red tag and logo, legs and puddle. Also a “worm’s eye view.)

ACT 3 The woman, moved by his gesture, wildly and almost uncontrollably embraces the gentleman as they begin passionate kissing, and the rain continues to pour. (Close up of gentleman’s legs with socks and boxers and woman’s legs with one leg up as though “kissing.” Worm’s eye view.)

The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha, is considered the most influential work of literature from the Spanish Golden Age. Don Quixote even inspired Pablo Picasso to sketch the Spanish literary hero and his sidekick, Sancho Panza. It was featured on the August 18-24 1955 issue of the French weekly journal Les Lettres Françaises’s in celebration of the 350th anniversary.

Quixotism serves to describe an idealism without regard to practicality.

Levi’s ‘two horses’ motif was intended to reflect ideals of American practicality.

I thought the two images were so similar yet they stood for two entirely different ideals. I’m not so sure Levi’s would have appealed to an impractical Don Quixote.

In the story of Don Quixote, he engages in battle with a windmill, which he believes to be a giant. I noticed that the rear of Levi’s Jeans has a “cross-windmill” pattern. I experimented with different ways to incorporate the two. That’s when I came-up with the idea of making a windmill out of Levi’s.